We are all looking for that little extra something that is going to make this wonderful game a little bit more forgiving. Here are a few suggestions:
Technology Factor #1 . Shorter Driver Length and More Loft Today.s drivers that are sold .off the rack. are made in lofts from 8-11 degrees, and in lengths of 45. to 45 1/2.. However, only 10% of all golfers have the required swing mechanics and athletic ability to warrant playing such equipment. If you swing over the top or have an inconsistent tempo, and your wrist to floor measurement is less than 40., then a 45. driver is probably too long for you. If you.re swing speed is less than 95 mph and you are using a driver with a loft of 9-11 degrees, then you are probably not maximizing your distance off the tee. If you hit a 3 wood better and more consistent than a driver, you can definitely take advantage of higher lofted drivers.
Technology Factor #2 . Closed Wood Face Angle Wood face angle is the BEST equipment correction device for driver accuracy. Face angle is the direction the face points when the head is placed in playing position or soled.
It is a design factor that helps correct minor swing path faults or the inability of the golfer to square the clubface at impact. How many golfers do you think have that problem? Most golfers with driver problems either push or slice the ball off the tee. Yet, when you purchase .off the rack. drivers you have very little opportunity to alter the face angle. They just don.t offer that as an option. Most drivers will only have a closed face angle of 1 degree. A face angle with a 2-4 degree closed face angle will cut down a slice from 5-15 yards.
Technology Factor #3 . Set Make-Up Today.s 7 iron has the same loft as a 5 iron of 15 years ago. Ever wonder why it is so difficult to hit today.s 3 and 4 irons? With today.s stronger lofted long irons, many golfers are going to higher lofted woods or hybrids. Which one is best for you? That depends. If you are currently having success with higher lofted woods, then staying with woods makes perfect sense. However, if you are not consistent with the fairway woods, then the shorter lengths of the .hybrid. clubs may make you more consistent. Each option has its pros and cons. The lower and deeper center of gravity of the wood heads will tend to hit the ball higher and are easier to hit. But the shorter lengths of the hybrids should be easier to hit on center and with more control. Either way it is probably time to get rid of your 3 and 4 irons and take a serious look at higher lofted fairway woods or hybrids.
Technology Factor #4 . Use the Most Flexible Shaft You Can Control. By using a more flexible shaft, you will probably hit the ball a little higher, the shot will feel a little bit more solid, and the face might close a little more at impact. These are all things that will allow you to score better. By using a stiffer shaft you will probably hit the ball a little lower and with less distance, and the impact will be slightly harsher while the clubface may remain slightly open. Therefore, consider dropping down a flex and you might just be rewarded with a tighter shot dispersion and lower scores.
Technology Factor #5 . Use Cavity Backed Irons
Cavity backed irons truly are more forgiving on off center hits. You have probably heard this before, but take a cavity-backed iron and muscle-backed iron to the course and take a 10 shots with each and plot the results (when the greens keeper is not around). Plotting these shots will show you which type of iron performs best for you. I.m sure you will see better results with the cavity-backed iron.
Technology Factor #6 . Go With a Wider Sole on the Sand Wedge If you tend to leave the ball in the sand from digging too deep under the ball, look for a sand wedge with a much wider (thicker) sole than on your current sand wedge. Also, if you tend to have a very steep downward swing plane, look for a wide sole angle and more bounce to get out of the sand more consistently. Sole angle will allow the club head to create lift as it travels through the sand to get the ball out. Bounce allows the leading edge of the head to glide through the sand because the trailing edge is actually lower than the leading edge. Having a wider sole angel and more bounce together creates favorable conditions to get out of the sand consistently.
Technology Factor #7 . Add weight to your Putter . In the Grip More golfers are starting to notice a more consistent stroke with a heavier putter. But not just by adding weight to the head. I.m talking about counterbalancing your putter by adding weight to the grip end. I will be talking more about this in future articles, but many of my customers are noticing huge performance gains by adding weight to the butt end of the putter. The method is called .Balance-Certified Golf. and Custom Clubs of Frederick is one of only a few shops in the area that can perform this service
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Golf : A Good Golf Pre-Shot Routine: Necessity for Every Golfer
You might ask yourself, "Why do I need a pre-shot routine?" Or for that matter, "What is a pre shot routine?" A pre-shot routine is quite simply the habits or actions one takes in the few seconds before the golf swing is made.
So, why is a good routine necessary? It is important because it allows us to relax, and it enables us to develop something that is repeatable in a game where even the best players in the world struggle with constancy, accuracy, and repetition.
The next question to ask yourself is, "Do I have a pre-shot routine?" If the answer is "yes", is it a good one? If the answer is "no", your golf game will benefit from developing one.
Let's take a look at some components of professional's pre-shot routines vs. amateur's routines to see how yours measures up.
The difference that I see between most amateurs and professionals lies in the quality of their pre-shot routines and their ability to repeat their routine time in and time out. Most amateurs will hastily walk up to the ball and then make two practice swings, then one time they will make no practice swings, and then waggle three times the next. These random actions breed inconsistency.
Meanwhile, professionals will go through the same repeatable course of action each time. This enables them to put their mind at rest. By knowing you have done your routine thousands of times, it allows the mind to focus on the actual shot at hand, thereby eliminating negative thoughts, which wreak havoc on most amateur golfers. A good pre-shot routine will also distract you from the pressure of each shot. You can concentrate on repeating your routine, rather than worry about the possible negative outcomes of the shot at hand.
A great example of this would be David Toms' performance during the 2001 PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Toms had a 12-foot putt on the 72nd hole to win his first major championship. Toms was able to focus on the task at hand by relying on his pre-shot routine. It enabled him to put his pounding heart and shaking hands aside and concentrate on his speed, line and stroke. When the ball was halfway to the hole, Toms knew he had sunk the putt and won his first major championship.
A good pre-shot routine is beneficial to players of all abilities. Not all pre-shot routines should be the same, but yours should be one that is repeatable and relaxing.
Here are a few tips to work with to develop a good pre-shot routine.
Start behind the golf ball and envision your target. Once you have focused on a target, make a practice swing with your eyes remaining focused on your target. As you swing, envision the perfect result from your shot. Now step up to the ball and take your address. Once you are comfortable with your address, take a deep breath, releasing the tension in your body as you exhale. Finally, take one last look at target to improve focus and let it rip.
If you are having a problem developing a good pre-shot routine, try http://www.stopslicing.com for some help or read some more of our free tips.
So, why is a good routine necessary? It is important because it allows us to relax, and it enables us to develop something that is repeatable in a game where even the best players in the world struggle with constancy, accuracy, and repetition.
The next question to ask yourself is, "Do I have a pre-shot routine?" If the answer is "yes", is it a good one? If the answer is "no", your golf game will benefit from developing one.
Let's take a look at some components of professional's pre-shot routines vs. amateur's routines to see how yours measures up.
The difference that I see between most amateurs and professionals lies in the quality of their pre-shot routines and their ability to repeat their routine time in and time out. Most amateurs will hastily walk up to the ball and then make two practice swings, then one time they will make no practice swings, and then waggle three times the next. These random actions breed inconsistency.
Meanwhile, professionals will go through the same repeatable course of action each time. This enables them to put their mind at rest. By knowing you have done your routine thousands of times, it allows the mind to focus on the actual shot at hand, thereby eliminating negative thoughts, which wreak havoc on most amateur golfers. A good pre-shot routine will also distract you from the pressure of each shot. You can concentrate on repeating your routine, rather than worry about the possible negative outcomes of the shot at hand.
A great example of this would be David Toms' performance during the 2001 PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Toms had a 12-foot putt on the 72nd hole to win his first major championship. Toms was able to focus on the task at hand by relying on his pre-shot routine. It enabled him to put his pounding heart and shaking hands aside and concentrate on his speed, line and stroke. When the ball was halfway to the hole, Toms knew he had sunk the putt and won his first major championship.
A good pre-shot routine is beneficial to players of all abilities. Not all pre-shot routines should be the same, but yours should be one that is repeatable and relaxing.
Here are a few tips to work with to develop a good pre-shot routine.
Start behind the golf ball and envision your target. Once you have focused on a target, make a practice swing with your eyes remaining focused on your target. As you swing, envision the perfect result from your shot. Now step up to the ball and take your address. Once you are comfortable with your address, take a deep breath, releasing the tension in your body as you exhale. Finally, take one last look at target to improve focus and let it rip.
If you are having a problem developing a good pre-shot routine, try http://www.stopslicing.com for some help or read some more of our free tips.
Golf : Special Golf Shot - Fairway Bunkers.
The Gist
Let me cut right to the gist of this tip. To get out of a bunker in the fairway you should hit the ball not the sand first. If you hit the ball cleanly and pick it, it will fly far, if you hit the ball and pinch it against the sand, the golfball will come out and fly lower than normal. If you should hit the sand and then the ball, you have played a greenside bunker shot.
Pot bunkers are the name of the game in Scotland, and they are not easy to get the ball out.
Imagine staring at a wall of sand or railroads ties 8 feet high, and a pin 150 yards away! How in the @$%@$% are you going to get out of that one? Quite often players will have to reverse course and pitch the ball out either sideways or back towards the tee.
A guaranteed lost stroke on the hole, and quite often the majors are won or lost by a single stroke. Fortunately for us state side, pot bunkers are uncommon hazards, especially when it comes to fairways bunkers. Occasionally you will see pot bunkers around the greens, and if you ever have played PGA West Stadium course you know what I am talking about.
Fairway bunkers tend not to be to deep and have a small lip if any. But what is the best way to advance the ball forward? It actually is quite easy. Phil, Corey, and a few other pros have told me how and it works! First off, a fairway bunker is completely different than a green side bunker. Green side bunker shots require you to open the clubface, open and place the ball forward in your stance. You will .bounce. the club and hit sand before the ball. This is not the case in fairway bunkers.
A fairway bunker requires you to hit the ball and not the sand. Here is an easy way to set up properly for a great fairway bunker shot. Select the normal club for the distance of the shot you are hitting. I would suggest staying away from fairway woods unless you are a very low handicapper. Place the ball in the middle of your stance. Plant your feet firmly in the sand. Thick sand will require you to choke down on the club slightly to compensate for your feet digging in the sand. Align your clubface, feet, and shoulders towards your target. You are now in the proper position to hit a fairway bunker shot. At this point take your normal swing path and attempt to hit the ball only. The key to the swing is hitting the ball first and not the sand. Jack was a great fairway bunker player and quite often he would be able to hit the same shot from a good lie in a bunker as from the fairway.
Let me cut right to the gist of this tip. To get out of a bunker in the fairway you should hit the ball not the sand first. If you hit the ball cleanly and pick it, it will fly far, if you hit the ball and pinch it against the sand, the golfball will come out and fly lower than normal. If you should hit the sand and then the ball, you have played a greenside bunker shot.
Pot bunkers are the name of the game in Scotland, and they are not easy to get the ball out.
Imagine staring at a wall of sand or railroads ties 8 feet high, and a pin 150 yards away! How in the @$%@$% are you going to get out of that one? Quite often players will have to reverse course and pitch the ball out either sideways or back towards the tee.
A guaranteed lost stroke on the hole, and quite often the majors are won or lost by a single stroke. Fortunately for us state side, pot bunkers are uncommon hazards, especially when it comes to fairways bunkers. Occasionally you will see pot bunkers around the greens, and if you ever have played PGA West Stadium course you know what I am talking about.
Fairway bunkers tend not to be to deep and have a small lip if any. But what is the best way to advance the ball forward? It actually is quite easy. Phil, Corey, and a few other pros have told me how and it works! First off, a fairway bunker is completely different than a green side bunker. Green side bunker shots require you to open the clubface, open and place the ball forward in your stance. You will .bounce. the club and hit sand before the ball. This is not the case in fairway bunkers.
A fairway bunker requires you to hit the ball and not the sand. Here is an easy way to set up properly for a great fairway bunker shot. Select the normal club for the distance of the shot you are hitting. I would suggest staying away from fairway woods unless you are a very low handicapper. Place the ball in the middle of your stance. Plant your feet firmly in the sand. Thick sand will require you to choke down on the club slightly to compensate for your feet digging in the sand. Align your clubface, feet, and shoulders towards your target. You are now in the proper position to hit a fairway bunker shot. At this point take your normal swing path and attempt to hit the ball only. The key to the swing is hitting the ball first and not the sand. Jack was a great fairway bunker player and quite often he would be able to hit the same shot from a good lie in a bunker as from the fairway.
Golf : Boost your Golf Drives to Lower Scores
Every golfer would like to have a golf training tip to increase their drives by 10, 20, 30 or even 40 yards. But what do you need to focus on to accomplish that?
Have you ever received a golf training tip that didn.t work? I think we all have. That can be very frustrating to say the least. But the key to implementing a golf training tip that.s effective is to look at your swing.
Do you lack a full, 90 degree shoulder turn on your backswing? Do you breakdown at impact where it really counts? Or do you have a hard time staying in your golf posture through out your swing?
You.ve got to take a deeper look at your swing faults AND physical limitations to determine what golf training tip will be the most effective in improving your driving distance.
Don't just try any golf training tip your golfing buddies tell you. Give it some serious thought before you do one of the golf training tips in the magazines. There are hundreds golf training tips you can read about, but won.t work for you.
Have you ever heard of the .62 point check-list?.
If you haven.t, it means instead of having one golf training tip you think about during your swing, you think of 62 of them. Maybe not that many, but you think of enough to accomplish what they term .paralysis by analysis..
When this happens, your swing will go south real quick. This happened to the Number One ranked golfer in the world back in the 90.s. His name? Nick Faldo. He became so mechanically he couldn.t even hit a ball. He would enter a tournament and take so many practice swings, and not have one golf training tip on his mind, but many.
It took him right out of the world rankings and ultimately off the tour. He is now commentating and doing a great job.
Here.s a golf training tip that will help your backswing range of motion, enabling you to have a much higher clubhead speed and quickly improve your driving distance.
I call it the Backswing Shoulder Stretch:
As you can see this is a simple golf training tip, but one that is very effective if you do it consistently. This is a great stretch to do throughout your round to maintain a full backswing.
This is just one golf training tip that can have a big impact on your performance; and is well worth trying.
About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf trainers in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. For more information on his golf training programs, visit his new golf training site at Perform Better Golf.
Have you ever received a golf training tip that didn.t work? I think we all have. That can be very frustrating to say the least. But the key to implementing a golf training tip that.s effective is to look at your swing.
Do you lack a full, 90 degree shoulder turn on your backswing? Do you breakdown at impact where it really counts? Or do you have a hard time staying in your golf posture through out your swing?
You.ve got to take a deeper look at your swing faults AND physical limitations to determine what golf training tip will be the most effective in improving your driving distance.
Don't just try any golf training tip your golfing buddies tell you. Give it some serious thought before you do one of the golf training tips in the magazines. There are hundreds golf training tips you can read about, but won.t work for you.
Have you ever heard of the .62 point check-list?.
If you haven.t, it means instead of having one golf training tip you think about during your swing, you think of 62 of them. Maybe not that many, but you think of enough to accomplish what they term .paralysis by analysis..
When this happens, your swing will go south real quick. This happened to the Number One ranked golfer in the world back in the 90.s. His name? Nick Faldo. He became so mechanically he couldn.t even hit a ball. He would enter a tournament and take so many practice swings, and not have one golf training tip on his mind, but many.
It took him right out of the world rankings and ultimately off the tour. He is now commentating and doing a great job.
Here.s a golf training tip that will help your backswing range of motion, enabling you to have a much higher clubhead speed and quickly improve your driving distance.
I call it the Backswing Shoulder Stretch:
- Extend left arm out in front of you (if you are a right handed golfer), in a handshake position, thumb pointing skyward.
- Take right hand and put under left wrist, so the back of the hands are touching each other.
- Pull with right hand against left wrist and make as big a turn on back swing as possible.
- Hold for at least 15 seconds, repeat two more times.
- Reverse the stretch to work the follow through.
As you can see this is a simple golf training tip, but one that is very effective if you do it consistently. This is a great stretch to do throughout your round to maintain a full backswing.
This is just one golf training tip that can have a big impact on your performance; and is well worth trying.
About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf trainers in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf fitness sites. For more information on his golf training programs, visit his new golf training site at Perform Better Golf.
Golf : A Great PreShot Routine for Putting.
Watch many of the worlds best putters and you will notice they all have in common a definable, repeatable pre-putting routine. This routine has been practiced thousands or perhaps even a hundred thousand times by these golfers. They will practice it every day to ingrain the process and the mechanics and to make it second nature. The preshot putting routine takes the focus off mechanics and enables their body to become target focused. The best putters know that if they are putting poorly one day then they simply need to return to their basic pre putting routine and practice until they discover the putting fault from their previous round of golf. That is, they will practice their routine to discover the fault that was the cause of there poor putting. Most of the time it is very simple to reveal - just by practicing their preshot routine, they discover something small in their putting process, an event out of sequence that they forgot to execute.
Different Strokes Putting Keys for Different Folks
This putting tip works only if you are using a conventional putter. ( 34-35 inches or so ).
The preshot putting routine is different ( or slightly different ) for every golfer. Why ? - because each person has a slightly different and unique physiology. This difference means that each persons shoulders, arms, hips, knees, hands, and neck all make up a different set of size and mass. No two wrists are exactly the same size. The process that will square one persons shoulders will open anothers, and close yet another persons shoulders.
Try this routine to see if it helps you putt better. You may find that some or all of the components of this routine may be incorporated into your routine to assist you in putting better. First Get into an Athletic Golf Setup to Putt the GolfBall into the Hole. How? You have heard this many times. Do not bend forward from the waist!
You get into an athletic golf position by bending forward from the hips. Grip the putter in your left hand to start while standing behind the ball. Pass the putter back and forth between the left and right hands two times finally stopping with the putter in your right hand. Then, take your left arm and push it straight out from your body and let it drop comforably to your side. This has the effect of "tightening the rope" ie the muscles in the lead arm. Watch the pro's - most all of the good putters do this including Vijay and Tiger. Next, keep your left hand in front of your body and push the putter with the right hand into the left hand. Do not move the left hand to the right hand, move the right to the left. When you grip the putter handle grip first with the top of the palm pad nearest the pointer or index finger, then the rest of the fingers. This is an important setup key as there is a direct relationship between this grip position and the rocking of the shoulders up and down on the spine.
What you have done is activate the large golf muscles in your shoulders, neck, lats, arms, triceps, and biceps. This as we know is important because in golf we want to use the bigger muscles for consistency and repeatability. In addition, you have enabled the right side of your body ( for right handed players ) to control the putt. This is important because it enables the shoulders to stay square and your head to stay back behind the ball resulting in the proper release of the putterhead down the target line. If you do not stay back on the ball you will most likely lunge a bit forward and push the putt to the right of your target.
Lastly, while staying in your current posture, walk to the golfball, address it and putt it to the hole. If you follow this preshot putting routine you will put the golfball in the hole more often. Less three putts and more one putts. That is the way to score. Practice this technique to build confidence in your putting stroke.
Different Strokes Putting Keys for Different Folks
This putting tip works only if you are using a conventional putter. ( 34-35 inches or so ).
The preshot putting routine is different ( or slightly different ) for every golfer. Why ? - because each person has a slightly different and unique physiology. This difference means that each persons shoulders, arms, hips, knees, hands, and neck all make up a different set of size and mass. No two wrists are exactly the same size. The process that will square one persons shoulders will open anothers, and close yet another persons shoulders.
Try this routine to see if it helps you putt better. You may find that some or all of the components of this routine may be incorporated into your routine to assist you in putting better. First Get into an Athletic Golf Setup to Putt the GolfBall into the Hole. How? You have heard this many times. Do not bend forward from the waist!
You get into an athletic golf position by bending forward from the hips. Grip the putter in your left hand to start while standing behind the ball. Pass the putter back and forth between the left and right hands two times finally stopping with the putter in your right hand. Then, take your left arm and push it straight out from your body and let it drop comforably to your side. This has the effect of "tightening the rope" ie the muscles in the lead arm. Watch the pro's - most all of the good putters do this including Vijay and Tiger. Next, keep your left hand in front of your body and push the putter with the right hand into the left hand. Do not move the left hand to the right hand, move the right to the left. When you grip the putter handle grip first with the top of the palm pad nearest the pointer or index finger, then the rest of the fingers. This is an important setup key as there is a direct relationship between this grip position and the rocking of the shoulders up and down on the spine.
What you have done is activate the large golf muscles in your shoulders, neck, lats, arms, triceps, and biceps. This as we know is important because in golf we want to use the bigger muscles for consistency and repeatability. In addition, you have enabled the right side of your body ( for right handed players ) to control the putt. This is important because it enables the shoulders to stay square and your head to stay back behind the ball resulting in the proper release of the putterhead down the target line. If you do not stay back on the ball you will most likely lunge a bit forward and push the putt to the right of your target.
Lastly, while staying in your current posture, walk to the golfball, address it and putt it to the hole. If you follow this preshot putting routine you will put the golfball in the hole more often. Less three putts and more one putts. That is the way to score. Practice this technique to build confidence in your putting stroke.
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